Unwinding device.



G. N. TAYLOR.

UNWINDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYBI, 1911.

WVE/VTOA Patented July 2, 1912.

fl W w/r/vzssss 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE N. TAYLOR, or EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, AssIGNoR TO UNIVERSAL WINDING COMPANY, orron'rmmn, MAINE, A oo u ona'rron or MAINE.

UN'WINDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letter sratent. Applicationfiled May 31, 1911.

PatentedJuly 2, 1912. Serial No. 630,397.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I,- GEORGE N. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unwinding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to unwinding devices for regulating the delivery of thread, yarn or other attenuated materials in unwinding the same from rotatin supplies, such as spools, cops, bobbins, c eeses, roquets, etc. i

The invention consists of improvements in the means for controlling the rotation of the spool or other supply-holder, its object being to neutralize the shock of the sudden pull on the thread in starting its delivery, and-to prevent the spool from overrunning when the thread breaks or its draft is arrested; so that fine, delicate. materials may be unwound at high speed without undue strain or breakage.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the device showing the spool represented by dot-and-dash lines; Fig. 2, an end elevation looking in -the direction indicated by the arrow m, Fig. 1, with the left hand spindlesupporting arm removed; Figs. 3 and 4,

detail views of the brake-band fastening de- VICGS- Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A and B are two brackets mounted on the horizontal rod 0 and held in position by the set-screws d, d. The brackets A and B are formed with laterally extending arms a and bat the extremities of which are socketed bearings a and 12 adapted to receive the gudgeons e, e at the ends of the spool spindle E. The spindle E is adapted to be thrust through the bore of the spool S or other supply package and is preferably constructed with splines, such as the spring wires "0, e, etc., which frictionally engage the spool with the spindle to hold it rotatively thereon. At one end the spindle E carries a brake-wheel F fast thereon, and preferably formed as a stepped pulley to provide peripheral rooves f, f and f of different diameters or a purpose as hereinafter specified. Securedin the bearing 6 of the bracket B is i a Shea, horizontal rodG held by. the setscrew g. .Mountedonthe rod G is a coiled spring h having onev end extending in the arm H .whiclrI-t-erm thecompens'ator arm. The arm .H .is .bowed at 'h and carries at its end a thread-guide .or eye 7a through which the thread or yarn y leads from the spool S. The end h of therspringhisheld in a transverse bore in the collar? Z. which is fastened on therod G'bya thumb-screw Z. Alsomounted-on the rod G is a collar m secured 2 in position by the thumb-screw m. Extending upwardly from thecollarm is an arm m" formed at its end with the laterally extending finger or lug m The finger m is adapted to engage the compensator arm H andrestrainit fromswinging upwardv under action of its. spring 71. as more fully explained hereinafter. Projecting from the side of the arm bis a lug n having a transverse bore n in which is held a square rod o'secured by the thumb-screw 12, see Fig. 3. Secured to the end of the rod 0 is a cord or strap 1' of leather, woven or braded banding, or any other suitable material, adapted to. wrap around the brake-wheel F and sewing as a. frictional brake-band therefor. To the opposite end of the brake-band 1' is fastened a coiled spring 8, and the other end of the spring, in turn, is secured to the compensator-arm H by a clip t. Referring to Fig. 4, the clip t is preferably formed of wire, coiled on itself to-form an eye t, and having two extensions or legs-t and t for gripping the wire arm H. One leg t is coiled around the arm H and the other t" merely hooked over the wire of the arm. The coiled-portion t of the clip acts as a spring, tending to force the legs t and t apart to-bind them on the wire H and by simply pinching the legs together the gripping tendency is overcome and the clip can be slid on the arm to adjust the position of the brake-band -r in'relation to the brake wheel F.

The operation of the whole arrangement is as follows: The collar m is adjusted rotatively on'the rod G to bring the finger m in posit-ion to hold the arm H slightly tilted from the vertical. The collar l' is then turned on the rod G to Wind up .the spring h so that the arm H is held against the finger m under tension. The amount of such tension can be regulated by winding up the spring to a greater or'less' extent and in this 110 way the resistance to the movement of the arm Hcan be varied .as required for different varieties of material or. different sizes of spools. The clip 25 is slid up or down on the arm H to regulate the extent ofwrap of the brake-band 1- around the brake-wheel F according to the amount of friction re quired tocontrol the rotation of the spool. The adjustment of the clip t along the arm H also regulates the quickness of act-ion of the brake-band; the farther away the latters pcint of connection with the arm H being from the arms pivot the quicker the slack of the band is taken-up. In other words, as the clip 1. is adjusted upwardly on the arm H the brake-band becomes more sensitive to the movementof the arm and quicker braking action is effected. The brake-band is applied to any one' ofthe grooves f, f, f, depending on whether greater or'less braking action is required for different sizes and weights of spools and the length of the band is adjusted in accordance therewith by sliding the rod 0 in its lug 11,. Preferably the rod 0 is fixed in a position such that when the arm H is back against its limiting finger m the spring s is stretched out slightly against its tension; it being understood that the spring 72. is stronger than the spring .9. With the elements adjusted in position as described above, the thread or yarn y is drawn up from the under side of the spool S, as shown in Fig. 2, and led through the thread-guide la. From the guide is the thread leads down to the winding, spooling or other machine to which it is to be delivered and when taken up thereby the device operates as follows: When the machine is started it causes a sharp pull on the yarn y and this sudden draft acts to depress the arm H and release the brake-band 1' fromthe brake-wheel F. As the arm H moves downward toward the spool the pull of the yarn on the spool will become stronger and stronger and finally,

.the inertia of the spool is overcome and it starts to rotate; slowly at first but with gradually accelerated speed. As the spool starts to rotate the tension of the yarn on the arm H is gradually lessened and, under influence of its spring h, the arm is carried upward toward the limiting finger m. Before it reaches the position illustrated by full lines in Fig.- 2, however, the brake-band is drawn taut on the periphery of the brakewheel and the spool is checked from running ahead to deliver its material too freely. Under normal conditions, during the delivery of the thread, the arm H assumes substantially the position illustrated by dash lines in Fig. 2 and the'brake-band is so adjusted as to provide a resistance to the rotation of the spool according to the amount of tension desired on the thread. When any abnormal resistance to the delivery of the thread is encountered, however, such as the catching or snarling of the thread on the spool,' the arm H Will'be pulled .rapidly downward toreleas'e the brake ba'nd from the brake-wheel so that the rotation of the spool is not impeded and thus, the unwinding oi the threadis assisted. Should the momentum of the spool cause it to run ahead and deliver-toofreely the tension of the thread on the arm H will be relieved and the latter will fly back to check the'rotation of the spool. It has beenffound,- ihowever, that the checkingrof the spool must-motbe ac-- complished too suddenly 'or'it will cause an intermittent, irregular rotation liable to strain. and break the thread. -.To provide against-this'the spring sis interposed between the end of the band 1" and the arm H 'its mode of action-being as TfolloWsrAs thea'rm H swings back under action of the spring h it creates a sharp pull on the end ofi-the spring 8, but the pull on the brake-band is neutralized through the resiliency of. the spring. In this way the action of the band on the brake-wheel is-rendered more inductive and sudden stopping 0f the spool is avoided andzstrain' onthe" thread prevented.

My improved device-is particularly 'ada ted for usev with machines employed For winding cops or bobbins. "In such machines the thread iswound on the tapered nose of the cop or bobbin,xtraversing up and down a conical surface from a small to a large diameter, and vice versa. It will be obvious, therefore, that the threadwillhave a constantly vary/ing speed of draft asit traverses from one diameter to another and the tendency .will be for itp-to draw' from the spool in jerks. This jerky, irregular pull on the spool is prevented by'the'operation of the compensator arm:H which is adapted to vibrate up and down'with each decrease and increase in speed of draft on-theyarn to compensate for the variations in :the takeup of the cop. In this way the rotation of the spool is maintained'at a substantially constant speed and thelte'nsionof-the thread remains uniform'throughout its delivery.

It is obvious that various modifications might be made in the structure'and arrangement of the mechanism without departing from the spirit or sco e of theinvention.

Therefore, without imiting myself to the exact construction shown, what I claim is 1. In an unwindin device, the combination with .a rotatab ezspool-holder, of -a brake-wheelrotatable therewith, a movable compensator arm operatedby the draft on the thread delivering from the spool, a brakeband engaging the brake-wheel with one end fixedly secured in relation thereto, and resilient means .for secu ing the opposite end of the brake-bandto the compensator arm. s

2. In an unwinding-device, 'the combination with a rotatable spool-holder, of a! brake-wheel rotatable therewith, a movable compensator arm operated by the tension on the delivering thread, a brake-band fixedly secured at one end and adapted to engage the brake-wheel, a spring attached to the opposite, end ofthe bI'QlKQbiLIld, and means to attach the end of the spring to the compensator arm, said means adjustable along the arm.

In an unwinding-device, the combination with supporting brackets, of a rotatable spool-holder mounted in bearings on said brackets, a brake-wheel rotatable with the spool-holder, a compensator arm adapted to be operated by the delivering thread, a brake-band engaging the brake-wheel, resilient means to connect the band with the arm, and a rod connected to the end of the brake-band and adjustable longitudinally in a bearing on one of the brackets to vary the operative length of the brake-band.

4. In an unwinding-device, the combination with the spool-holder, of a brake-wheel thereon, a brake-band engaging said brakewheel, a swinging compensator arm H, and a clip t for attaching the brake-band to the arm, said clip constructed of wire bent in a circular coil t and extending in legs 2?, 1 one leg t coiled around the arm H and the other leg 2% hooked over the arm in the manner and for the purpose. specified.

5. In an unwinding-device, the combination with a spool-holder E, of a brake-wheel F carried thereby, a brake-band r engaging said brake-wheel, a rod G mounted adjacent the brake-Wheel, a spring arm H pivoted on the rod G, and a collar mformed with a finger m adapted to engage the arm to limit its swinging movement, said collar adjustable rotatably 0n the rod G.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE N. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR A. ARMINGTON, GRACE B. HOOKER. 

